Best Commuter Cars in 2025

Price: $28,350 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.6/10

For a quarter century, the Toyota Prius has been a top choice for commuting. It still gets some of the best mileage of any hybrid, with the base model returning 57 mpg in the city and 56 mpg on the highway. The Prius has dropped its reputation for being poky, and its strongest powertrain to date resides under the hood.

The interior may not be fancy, but it is sturdy. The front seats are roomy and supportive. However, the rear seats may be a tight fit. There's a long list of standard safety equipment too, including adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist.

Price: $40,150 | U.S. News Overall Score: 9.2/10

The 2025 Honda Ridgeline was one of the first SUV-based pickups to come to market, and it continues to be one of the best. The ride is comfortable and smooth, and it can easily slide into the last space in the parking garage.

The interior is more like a roomy, upscale SUV than a work truck, while the 5-foot-4-inch bed is ready to head to the garden center on weekends. A 9-inch touch screen with wireless smartphone connectivity is standard, as are adaptive cruise control and tri-zone climate control. Standard safety features include adaptive cruise control and rear cross-traffic alert.

Price: $24,550 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.9/10

The 2025 Hyundai Kona has ample room for passengers, plus the cargo area is among the largest in the class. It also turns in decent fuel economy numbers, though its powertrain is unlikely to add any zip to the morning commute.

A large 12.3-inch touch screen is standard, along with a digital driver display. It also features wireless smartphone connectivity plus four USB ports — two up front and two for rear-seat passengers. Standard features like bike and pedestrian detection and vehicle-exit warning keep commuters of all kinds safer.

Price: $30,000 | U.S. News Overall Score: 9.3/10

The Toyota GR86 may not replace your morning coffee, but it does have a peppy engine and tight handling, and the overall performance has been upgraded for 2025 with enhancements like improved power steering. The front seats are comfortable and roomy, though like most sports cars, the rear seats and trunk are tiny. You might as well fold down the backseat and maximize the cargo space.

An 8-inch touch screen with smartphone compatibility comes standard, and fat physical knobs make it easy to use the climate controls without taking your eyes from the road. A long list of standard driver-assistance features includes adaptive cruise control.

Price: $20,490 | U.S. News Overall Score: 9.2/10

The 2025 Kia Soul can fit into nearly any parking space, yet it has a surprising amount of room inside for people and cargo. It has one of the lowest starting prices on the market, yet it's packed with features like an 8-inch touch screen and smartphone connectivity, along with forward automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and cyclist detection.

The Soul scoots around town with little drama and turns in up to 33 mpg on the highway, which is great for its class. For these reasons and more, we named it our 2025 Best Subcompact SUV for the Money.

Price: $23,825| U.S. News Overall Score: 8.5/10

For decades the Toyota Corolla has been a top choice for commuters, and the hybrid version makes it an even better pick. It gets great fuel economy — up to 53 mpg in the city. It's not built for a thrilling ride, but it has solid handling and is able to zip around town with ease.

The Corolla Hybrid has an 8-inch touch screen, wireless smartphone connectivity, and four USB ports. The interior is well-built, and the front seats are supportive, but the rear seats and trunk are on the small side.

Price: $28,770 | U.S. News Overall Score: 9.2/10

The MSRP for the 2025 Mazda CX-5 dropped a bit, even as prices have fluctuated this spring. It comes with a 10.25-inch display controlled via a knob in the center console. When paired with a smartphone, you can use the display as a touch screen.

The CX-5's suspension can soak up imperfections in the road and take on twisty roads without wallowing. The base engine is powerful enough for daily driving, and it gets up to 30 mpg on the highway. Standard stop-and-go adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist make the commute less tiring.

Price: $42,600 | U.S. News Overall Score: 9.1/10

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 hasn't been on the market all that long, but it's already been refreshed to maintain its futuristic vibe. The interior uses sustainable materials and features a 12.3-inch touch screen, wireless smartphone connectivity, and five USB ports.

The 2025 edition has a longer range, with 245 miles from the Standard Range model and up to 318 miles from the Long Range model. A Tesla-style charging port is also new this year, so you can now charge this Hyundai at a SuperCharger. The long list of standard safety tech includes lane-centering assist, stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, and traffic-sign recognition.

Price: $23,950 | U.S. News Overall Score: 9.3/10

Everybody thinks they want an SUV, but allow the 2025 Mazda3 to make its case for being one of the best commuter choices out there in either sedan or hatchback form. The base engine puts out plenty of power and has sporty handling, yet it still gets good gas mileage — up to 37 mpg on the highway.

The interior has an upscale feel and solid construction. An 8.8-inch display with a control knob is standard, along with wired smartphone compatibility. This year, Amazon Alexa was added to the lineup of standard features. Many safety features are standard too, including adaptive cruise control and rear cross-traffic alert.

Price: $33,465 | U.S. News Overall Score: 9.2/10

The 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is one of the best vehicles in the still-competitive hybrid SUV segment, and it was refreshed inside and out for the new model year. A 12.3-inch touch screen and wireless smartphone connectivity are now standard, and more physical controls for common infotainment actions have been added.

The suspension is tuned for maximum comfort — an important consideration for commuting — and the 2025 refresh added a bit more horsepower for extra oomph. It also has adjustable regenerative braking, which is a rarity for a hybrid. Standard features like intersection assist help a tired brain stay safe on the streets.

Price: $24,250 | U.S. News Overall Score: 9.2/10

The 2025 Honda Civic is the latest iteration of a classic commuter car, and it regularly sits near the top of its class ranking. It was refreshed for 2025 to keep it looking modern inside and out. The interior is well-designed and quite luxurious for the price, with plenty of cubbies for storing small items. The base trim's 7-inch touch screen is a bit small, and wired smartphone compatibility is standard.

The Civic has stellar fuel economy estimates, returning up to 41 mpg on the highway. This Honda also has a long list of standard safety features, including adaptive cruise control and traffic-sign recognition.

Price: $41,350 | U.S. News Overall Score: 9.3/10

The 2025 BMW X1 makes a great daily driver with new standard features like heated front seats. This entry-level luxury SUV has a 10.7-inch touch screen and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, plus wireless smartphone connectivity and four USB ports. There's enough room for adults to get comfy in both rows of seating.

The engine provides quick acceleration and the X1 is tuned for athletic handling. This small SUV still turns in above-average gas mileage for the class, up to 33 mpg on the highway. The list of standard safety features is extensive, and it includes pedestrian detection and park assist.

Price: $33,000 | U.S. News Overall Score: 9.3/10

The 2025 Integra brings punchy acceleration and sporty handling to the entry-level luxury car segment, making it one of the best in its class. The engine's performance doesn't sacrifice fuel economy, with up to 37 mpg on the highway. And the Integra still provides a comfortable ride.

Rather than the touchpad found in other Acura models, the Integra comes with a 7-inch touch screen with wired smartphone compatibility. Heated front seats are also standard, and the well-designed interior has plenty of storage space. The liftback cargo area is particularly roomy. All models have adaptive cruise control, traffic-jam assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and more.

Many commuters are looking for a comfortable, affordable, and fuel-efficient car that can do it all. But if none of these check all your must-have boxes, take a look at our full rankings for cars and our SUV rankings. There are more electric vehicle options out there too.

No matter which car seems like a good fit for day-in, day-out driving, use our Best Price Program to pre-negotiate a great price at a dealership near you. You can even arrange for an online sale and home delivery of your new vehicle.